ABOUT US

Welcome to Bike Virginia! We work to make Virginia great through cycling initiatives such as events, education, working with elected officials, advocacy programs, grants, and consulting.

We are a 501(C)(3) non-profit organization. We work on a variety of cycling initiatives in Virginia and the surrounding states.

Bike Virginia hosts the annual Bike Virginia Tour, a 6 day cycling festival of 1,700 riders from across the US and international locations. We offer an adventure that travels around the Commonwealth to a different region each year. We host the tour specifically to feature Virginia’s most historic and scenic regions. Through this initiative we help communities improve their ability to host cycling tourists, organize share the road education, and we stimulate economic wellbeing by bringing approximately $2.8M in revenue to host regions in 6 days.

Bike Virginia owns and publishes Spokes Magazine, a print and digital publication published 4X per year. Within the magazine we feature articles on places to bike in the mid-atlantic, bike safety and maintenance tips, cycling related news, cycling inspiration stories such as human interest and features about organizations related to biking. The magazine offers a place for regional cycling events to list their event dates and place affordable ads to over 20,000 readers.

We serve as a conduit for communication on legislative initiatives and campaigns for partner organizations to over 15,000 email addresses and over 5,000 social media follows.

Organize, promote, and deploy Share the Road educational campaigns.

We invite you to stay connected with Bike Virginia. Sign up for our e-mail newsletter (delivered direct to your inbox), like us on facebook (for timely updates in your news feed), or consider making a tax-deductible donation to support our advocacy efforts. Bike Virginia is a 501(c)(3) non-profit

WOW Just in time for the holidays, you can purchase a Bike Virginia gift certificate to use at our online store, or apply it towards online registration for our annual Tour.

Bike Virginia Tour: Economic Impact and Direct Spending

Executive Summary 2012

The annual Bike Virginia Tour draws up to 2,000 regional, national, and international visitors during a 6 day period each June. Participants enjoy 300–400 miles of bicycling in rural areas, enjoying the history, scenery, and geography. The event is a program of Bike Virginia, a 501(C)(3), non-profit that works to improve Virginia’s health, environment, and economy through bicycling.

The tour generates considerable tourism spending for the region as riders enjoy lodging, dining, entertainment, and retail opportunities. Riders occupy up to 400 rooms for 5–6 nights in addition to up to 1,200 riders that camp at our headquarters.

The average age of our participants is 54; 60 percent are male, 40 percent are female. We have a large return ridership (60% or greater each year). The year 2012 will mark the 25thAnniversary of the tour.

Direct Spending and Economic Impact

Total participant spending for 2,000 riders over six days is estimated at $1,133,380 for lodging, food, drink, entertainment, transportation, and retail purchases.

Calculation of the ripple effect, secondary spending by merchants and businesses, suggests that the Tour has an additional impact of $725,363 in ripple on top of the $1,133,380 direct spending by tour participants.

Additional to rider purchases our organization spends $500,000 annually on services and materials to hold the event. Those dollars also generate an additional ripple of $320,000 for the regional economy.

Based on formulas provided in the US Travel Association’s report for Virginia Tourism the Bike Virginia Tour generates up to $76,000 in federal tax, $45,000 in state tax, and $31,000 in local tax receipts.

In total, the event can generate up to $2.8 Million each year in just 6 days.

Riders also show a strong desire for return tourism. Last year 63 percent of surveyed riders reported a desire to revisit the host towns again.

Local participation in planning for the tour by Visitors Bureaus, Chambers of Commerce, Downtown associations, and other businesses is integral in making the event a success for all. Together we can provide a memorable and enjoyable experience that will generate return visits.

This Executive Summary provides a snapshot of data from a 2011 Direct Spending Survey. Additional information is provided in the full report. Download the 2012 Economic Impact Report PDF.

Virginia Bike Event Association is a group of cycling events across the state that work together for a “collaborative exchange of ideas and resources to support safe and enjoyable cycling events across Virginia so that the state may benefit from increased recreation, wellness, and tourism.”

Together we can grow and learn. Together we can share more opportunities for cycling with residents and visitors. Together our voice is stronger when we ask for legislation, funding, and support from tourism agencies.

Bike Virginia is proud to be a founding member of the Virginia Bike Event Association.